


Programmed Grief

by Aya_Diefair



Series: Aya's MCU "Fix-Its" [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Violence, Impulse Reaction, Slightly Not Thor Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 09:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20776139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aya_Diefair/pseuds/Aya_Diefair
Summary: Nebula didn't want to mourn Thanos' death, but some things are more deep rooted than expected.





	Programmed Grief

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's Note:** This was another scene I felt was brushed off on poor Nebula's end. Despite how much she loathed Thanos, witnessing him die so suddenly after receiving praise from him would have had her snap at his executioner. Slightly not Thor friendly.
> 
> **Word Count:** (Per Google Docs) 512
> 
> \----------------------
> 
> **Legal Disclaimer:** My work is my own creative intelligence and property, but I do not own the original source material it stems from (I wouldn't be writing fanfiction if it was). The opinions and interpretations of characters reflected in my stories may not follow what is portrayed from the source material. Please don't sue me, I'm a stay at home mom.

Nebula knew what she was in for and what to expect was going to happen when she disclosed the information of where Thanos was to the Avengers. Seeing her father again in person was strange, but she really didn't know what she was prepared to see. He appearing so weak and tired was a shock, but Nebula remained in the background as the Avengers interrogated him.

Her mind glitched when one of them claimed that Thanos was lying about the whereabouts of the infinity stones and promptly corrected them without a second thought. When she heard him address her directly, she felt herself snap to attention, meeting his gaze as she tried her best to hold up her composure and not crumble at the kind words he'd never spoken to her before until now. Words she always yearned to hear but hated the desire to openly receive them all because she subconsciously defended him.

It was liberating to hear such praise from the one she hated to love so much.

The next thing she knew his blood splattered across her face and Thanos' head rolled at her feet. This sudden outcome numbed her as she knelt down to close his eyes. This monster, this galactic dictator that kidnapped and raised her to be a weapon after slaughtering her kind—among so many others she helped annihilate—was finally defeated. Nebula didn't know how to respond to this feeling of anguish that settled within her.

How many times had she sought to kill him herself throughout the years? Now that the deed was finally done, she was nothing short of devastated. Looking up at Thor, her expression hardened as she watched him wipe the blood off his axe. The second he turned his back was when she struck.

It all happened so fast, her instinctive response to witnessing the death of her father was simply a default setting she reverted to when there was danger of any kind. The attack on the Norse god was misplaced retaliation driven by the rooted connection she had with Thanos despite how much she loathed him.

Nebula managed to get a few good blows to Thor's head and key target points on his back that often subdued her opponents before the others pulled her off him and threw her to the floor beside her father's remains. Rocket was yelling at them, moving to stand by her, but his words didn't register as he cocked his gun at them in her defense. She shifted enough to sit on her knees and wrapped her arms around herself as she let out a raw, sorrowful cry. Resting her forehead on Thanos' shoulder as she leaned into his corpse, she remained that way for several minutes. The others quietly left her alone to mourn.

Her father was dead. Her sister too by his hand. The pain was almost too much for Nebula to bear now that it all had caught up to her.

She hated to feel, but she still had someone else to look after even if he didn't want her to.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Programmed Grief](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451837) by [Ravin_Pods (Ravin)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravin/pseuds/Ravin_Pods)
  * [[podfic] Programmed Grief](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24453934) by [oakleaf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oakleaf/pseuds/oakleaf)
  * [[Podfic] Programmed Grief](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24463270) by [Jet_pods (Jetainia)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetainia/pseuds/Jet_pods)


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